Pete Wicks has revealed the depth of his feelings for his Strictly dance partner Jowita Pryzstal – as they prepare for the show’s famous Blackpool weekend.

The former TOWIE star, 36, and the professional dancer, 30, have found themselves engulfed by fan speculation that they have fallen for each other because of the intensity of their performances.

In an interview today Wicks appeared to acknowledge the strain that such rumours of a ‘curse of Strictly’ romance have put himself and single Jowita under.

Pete – talking shortly after he bid farewell to girlfriend Maura Higgins – off to Australia to star in her own reality show, this year’s I’m A Celebrity – said he wants to ‘give back’ to Jowita after ‘everything they have been through’.

He said: ‘It’s a moment I really want to share with Jowita because she’s done so much for me, and it means so much for her too.’

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Pete Wicks has revealed the depth of his feelings for his Strictly dance partner Jowita Pryzstal – as they prepare for the show’s famous Blackpool weekend

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The former TOWIE star, 36, and the professional dancer, 30, have found themselves engulfed by fan speculation that they have fallen for each other because of the intensity of their performances

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View gallery

Pete – talking shortly after he bid farewell to girlfriend Maura Higgins (pictured) – off to Australia to star in her own reality show, this year’s I’m A Celebrity – said he wants to ‘give back’ to Jowita after ‘everything they have been through’

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Speaking to The Blackpool Gazette, he continued: ‘I love that I have the opportunity to give that back and we have the chance to dance there together after everything we’ve been through.’

On Saturday night, all eight remaining contestants will take to the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom for a special edition of the beloved BBC show as it celebrates its twentieth anniversary.

The pair were seen on a final date night out in London on Monday evening. It comes just as weeks after the pair finally confirmed their relationship by packing on the PDA on a busy street in the capital after months of speculation.

The reveal came shortly after Pete and Jowita, 30, took strides to shut down any rumour or hint of a romantic connection between them.

‘It’s not a love bubble unfortunately,’ the TV star said during a joint appearance on This Morning. ‘She’s one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met, genuinely, not just in the dancing side of things but outside of that and I think that helps us with the whole dancing thing.’

The dance duo are set to perform the Cha Cha Cha to I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred, which some Strictly fans have slammed as a ‘set up to fail’.

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The reveal came shortly after Pete and Jowita, 30, took strides to shut down any rumour or hint of a romantic connection between them (pictured)

In an interview with the Blackpool Gazette ahead of Saturday, Pete was asked a series of questions about the seaside town and previous Strictly performances.

He added that the most inspiring Blackpool performance was between his dance partner Jowita and Hamza Yassin on Strictly in 2022.

Some Strictly stars, including Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Skorjanec, as well as Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe, have already travelled up to Blackpool.

Tasha shared an image of her this morning working away in a dance studio, while Montell showed a piece of rock she had collected from the pier.